Can the new Reds boss get his main man fit and firing to turn around Liverpool's stuttering start?
New Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he has 100% trust in striker Daniel Sturridge but revealed he simply could not risk further injury to his main man against Tottenham last weekend.
The England forward suffered a knock to his knee in training - the latest in a series of injuries that have plagued the last two seasons of what was beginning to look like a career full of potential.
But the German manager attempted to play down any long-term risk to Sturridge, saying he could yet play in Thursday's Europa League tie against Rubin Kazan at Anfield.
Klopp was referring to two major injury set-backs in his first week at the club which have left his squad particularly thin with 3 months still to go until he can begin strengthening and shaping his side in the January transfer window.
Joe Gomez and Danny Ings have both suffered knee ligament damage and will undergo surgery in the next few days. The problems are likely to end both players seasons with neither expected back for at least six months.
The loss of Ings at centre forward has heaped even more pressure on Sturridge to be Liverpool's main attacking threat but that's a hard objective to reach for a player who only appeared 17 times last season in all competitions.
Yet despite Sturridge's poor injury record, Klopp can still see his striker as the answer to his problems rather than the cause of them because Sturridge's eye for goal and ability to change a game in a second make him Liverpool's deadliest weapon.
He was prolific back in 2013-14 when Liverpool came so close to securing their first Premier League title, scoring 21 times in 29 appearances.
The big test for Klopp will be to get Sturridge fit and firing at the right time and, while Liverpool fans may be frustrated with their lack of attacking threat during Saturday's 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane, in the bigger picture protecting Sturridge more often may be the right strategy.
If Klopp can get his main man back to the form of a few years ago those same Liverpool fans can be sure they will start moving in the right direction under the new boss.
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